


This is Wrong

by orphan_account



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Drabbles, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-24
Updated: 2015-10-12
Packaged: 2018-04-26 02:39:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4986931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaneki gets a tattoo done by Uta which leads to an unexpected event. A month later, Kaneki confronts the mask maker which leads to yet another unexpected event.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This is Wrong

**Author's Note:**

> Tattoos is a drabble I wrote almost four months ago. So, when you read Breathe please don't freak out over the writing style difference.

The door to HySy ArtMask Studio opens, revealing none other than Kaneki Ken. He looked disheveled with his white hair messier than usual and dark circles under his eyes. Uta, who had been working on a mask, regards him with a polite smile.

"I just have a quick question," the half-ghoul explains, "You do tattoos, right?"

Uta nods his head, "I can. Why? Have anything in mind?"

"Not currently, but I'll come back as soon as I do," Kaneki says. The mask maker expected the white haired male to leave after that, but instead he just stands there. He looks awkward, like he's unsure of what to say or do next. Uta about turns his attention back the mask he was previously working on when Kaneki speaks again.

"I-uh-thank you, Uta-san."

The tattooed ghoul looks at him for a moment, mostly because he did not understand what the thank you was for, and partly because Kaneki sounded like his old self. It actually makes him smile, so he quickly plays along by saying what any normal person would say.

"No problem."

* * *

 

About a week later, Kaneki opens the door to the mask shop with a picture in his hand, only to see Uta busy with another costumer. They must have been human because the tattooed ghoul was wearing his sunglasses. Kaneki waits patiently, leaning against the counter, as Uta finishes up his measurements.

Once the human leaves, Uta takes off his sunglasses and sets them down on his desk. The half-ghoul walks up and quietly hands him the piece of paper. On it was an elegantly designed centipede.

"That's tattoo I want," Kaneki explains briefly.

Uta nods his head. His ever active kakugan scans the picture carefully, observing every detail. Most tattoos hold a special meaning to the person, so he could only wonder what this meant to Kaneki. Curiosity eats at him, but he holds his tongue.

The mask maker looks up at him, "Follow me."

He turns around and walks toward the open doorway. Kaneki does as instructed and follows right behind him. In the other room there's a couch and a coffee table on one end and stairs on the other. The half-ghoul feels slightly uncomfortable and nervous. He hasn't felt this way around Uta since the first time Touka brought him here. That feels like it happened forever ago.

"Where would you like it?"

Kaneki blinks, "Huh?"

"The tattoo," Uta clarifies, "Where would you like it?"

"On my back." Uta cocks his head to the side, obviously wanting more information. "I mean, the head is on my left shoulder and it comes out to the right and then ends in the center of my lower back."

As he explains, he turns and traces the general outline of how he would like his tattoo. The mask maker glances at the centipede on the paper and then looks back to Kaneki. Yeah, he could make that work. It wouldn't be too hard.

"Okay," is all Uta says before leaving the room. He quickly comes back with a small, silver suitcase, and sets it down on the coffee table. "What colors would you like it to be?"

"Just black will be fine," Kaneki answers. He didn't feel the need for it to be very colorful. Uta nods his head and leaves the room once more. He comes back with a small container of black paint.

Uta opens the little suitcase, revealing the tattoo gun and various needle sizes. Kaneki is just about to ask a question when the mask maker speaks, "Take off your shirt and lay down on the floor. The surface needs to be completely flat and I don't have a table big enough. Sorry."

The half-ghoul nods his head in understanding and pulls off his shirt. As soon as he drops it to the floor, Uta tosses a small pillow from the couch at him. He catches it easily. Before he lays on the floor, the tattooed ghoul catches sight of Kaneki's surgical scar, faded and more rough looking now, though.

Uta soon walks over to the half-ghoul's left side and sits down on his legs. Kaneki rests his on the pillow in a way to where he can see the mask maker's face, "No gloves?" He was pretty sure tattoo artists were supposed to wear gloves because of health concerns.

"We're ghouls," Uta points out. Kaneki hums to himself. The dark haired male turns on the tattoo gun and the loud buzzing sound fills both their ears. Before the needle touches the half-ghoul's skin, Kaneki asks another question that's been bothering him for a while.

"What are the needles for tattoo machine made of? Since we  _are_  ghouls, normal needles won't work unless you have that...solution." He thinks back to his time with Yamori and internally flinches at the memories of being injected with that stuff in his eyes. The sharp sting of the needle in his eye. Him screaming. Jason laughing.

The tattooed ghoul looks at Kaneki carefully, the inked gun hovering just above the skin of his left shoulder, "It's quinque steel."

"How-"

"I've killed a lot of investigators, Kaneki-kun."

The needle of the tattoo gun touches his shoulder, the quinque steel allowing it to break the skin. Kaneki cringes slightly. Little dots of blood show up along with the black ink. The scent of the half-ghoul's blood fills Uta's nostrils and he has to force himself to stay focused on the task at hand.

"Are you piercings made of quinque steel, too?" Kaneki asks.

"Yup," is all Uta says.

* * *

 

By the time Uta finishes Kaneki's desired tattoo it's late at night. His back hurts, but not as bad as he thought it would. He sits up on the floor, waiting for the mask maker who has gone upstairs to make sure there is a full body mirror.

Not to long after he had gone up he comes back down half way to tell the half-ghoul to come up stairs with him. Kaneki stands, stretches, and then go up stairs with Uta in front of him. He leads him into a room where a full body mirror leans against one side of the wall. He turns around and looks over his right shoulder to see his new tattoo.

It was just how he wanted it, if not better.

"You really are a great artist, Uta-san," Kaneki commented, tearing his gaze away from the mirror and looking at the mask maker. Said ghoul nods and smiles at him.

"I'm glad you approve."

A sudden silence falls upon them. Kaneki searches for something to say, but nothing comes to mind. And when Uta starts walking toward him, his heart rate suddenly picks up. Now, standing only a few inches from each other, the tattooed ghoul leans in and almost hesitantly presses his lips against the half-ghoul's.

Even though there was no movement, even though it was literally just their lips pressed together, Kaneki's heart pounded heavily against his ribs. It was so loud to his own ears he wondered if Uta could hear it. He wants to do something, perhaps grab the mask maker's shirt and bring him closer, or maybe tangle his hands in his dark hair. But he doesn't.

The mask maker pulls away first. Kaneki looks at him and sees some sort of unrecognizable emotion in the tattooed ghoul's eyes. Uta murmurs a quick apology before exiting the room and going back down stairs, leaving Kaneki alone.


End file.
